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Mixing: the next step?

Yeah I imagine theres a previous thread similar to this.... please spare me the bitching about 'using the almighty search function'.

Anyways, I feel like I have sorta hit a wall in terms of my mixing... I have all the basics on lockdown, but I dont know what to do next...

I can beatmatch fine, phrasing, transitions are all decent yet fairly basic, track selection is fine..... what should I work on next? I am sorta getting bored of just playing a track, mixing into a new one, and so on.... I want to keep improving. I have tried different EQing techniques for bringing in and fading out tracks but that seems to be fairly limited and not overly exciting.

Is there anything else to learn really or is it just about mastering the stuff I am already doing? I feel lost.

Please Help!

Use the almighty search function.

Do some gigs?

quote:

Originally posted by djimmersion Do some gigs?

Don't quite have the confidence for that yet! Just a bedroom DJ for the time being, maybe sometime in the future if I start taking it more seriously. For now I'm just looking to broaden my skills in terms of mixing and don't know what else there is to learn!

quote:

Originally posted by teufel-man Don't quite have the confidence for that yet! Just a bedroom DJ for the time being, maybe sometime in the future if I start taking it more seriously. For now I'm just looking to broaden my skills in terms of mixing and don't know what else there is to learn!

Do some sets for an online net radio station.

Concidering I got accepted when I was absolutely shit (and ahem... there was one being run by the dj tutor community or whatever where they specifically asked to not be sent demos, just to have a try) I'm sure your plenty good enough, and if your good you'll get encouraging feedback too.

So: How about set flow?

Let people in the Promotion forums pick apart your mixes.

practice the pose




it is the best and only form of communication with the crowd. as you can see, the crowd (in the pic) is completely responding to it. it's like an advanced life-form communicating in zeta waves (in the pic, bottom right between the two speakers is a girl, by her face you already know she's thinking "my god is he really hetero?"

normal human beings, cannot understand trance music, therefore the edm culture has evolved to such an advanced position that we communicate in pose. for instance, the pose for "i need my damn blow right now!", is:



the pose for "lol, i know this music is just that majestic", is:



then we have the "lol whats going on guys?":



as you can see, there is another step in being a dj...it's the communication. if you master this you're bound to be top 10 in the dj mag top 100, lickity split no diggity no doubt.

On a serious note, I suggest harmonic mixing. And if you feel EQ'ing are what you say you feel, maybe you should practice that more, because it doesn't make any sense what you say.

quote:

Originally posted by PutBoy On a serious note, I suggest harmonic mixing. And if you feel EQ'ing are what you say you feel, maybe you should practice that more, because it doesn't make any sense what you say.

That should work the best, but be prepared to take some heavy criticism.

quote:

Originally posted by PutBoy And if you feel EQ'ing are what you say you feel, maybe you should practice that more, because it doesn't make any sense what you say.

I know what your saying, and yes I am always trying to improve my EQing and it is very far from perfect, and I know thats one thing I can improve my mixing but I am not sure what else there is that I can do.... so thats why I am asking: what else can I learn outside of EQing to improve my mixing?

And in terms of harmonic mixing I dont think I have enough music backgroud to get into that sorta thing... although maybe thats something I can work towards in the future. But I guess they have those programs you can download which automatically detect the key of each song... so maybe that would be possible!

When I'm using two decks I don't touch EQs very much. I just don't find them completely necessary if you program your set properly. Also work on your levels as this is something I find all DJs can work on. You don't want your mix to get louder as you bring in another song or to get softer when you take song out of the mix. You need to keep a consistent level throughout.

mash ups?

3 channel mixing with effects/acappellas?

quote:

Originally posted by Zild When I'm using two decks I don't touch EQs very much. I just don't find them completely necessary if you program your set properly. Also work on your levels as this is something I find all DJs can work on. You don't want your mix to get louder as you bring in another song or to get softer when you take song out of the mix. You need to keep a consistent level throughout.

depends what you're going for

quote:

Originally posted by Az depends what you're going for

Well if you want your levels all over to place and people to think you can't mix then yea just slam the next track in wait 30 seconds and crossfade.

quote:

Originally posted by Zild Also work on your levels as this is something I find all DJs can work on. You don't want your mix to get louder as you bring in another song or to get softer when you take song out of the mix. You need to keep a consistent level throughout.

Thats actually a great point. I find that to be one of the most difficult parts of mixing for me. What techniques do you guys use to control the levels? do you primarily use the gains or what?

It always fucks me up when i go from a minimal to a techno track or vice versa. Definitely something I will work on.

if you want a real challenge, start mixing hip hop and practicing turnabalism. mixing edm is easy i can see why you're getting bored (flame away)

quote:

Originally posted by discobiscuit if you want a real challenge, start mixing hip hop and practicing turnabalism. mixing edm is easy i can see why you're getting bored (flame away)

Or if you want a real challenge you can teach yourself how to play the violin.

quote:

Originally posted by teufel-man Thats actually a great point. I find that to be one of the most difficult parts of mixing for me. What techniques do you guys use to control the levels? do you primarily use the gains or what? It always fucks me up when i go from a minimal to a techno track or vice versa. Definitely something I will work on.

I preset the gain knobs so the channel peaks around 0 and then use the channel faders to control the overall sound level with some EQ cuts to make space for the incoming song. Use your ears and watch the master VU to make sure you aren't spiking the levels on the master channel.

-Mix other forms of music
-Mix multiple genres in one set
-learn how to do cuts and stuff like that
-Harmonic Mixing (easy mode: use a program to identify the key, hard mode: key each track yourself, uber hard mode: listen to the track and know what key it is in)
-Mix with some buddies
-Mix drunk

record your sets, then listen to them. Puts it into a different perspective, I feel like I got a lot better (jury's still out on that however) after doing that.

quote:

Originally posted by teufel-man What techniques do you guys use to control the levels? do you primarily use the gains or what?

I use the gains only for that. I know some people use the up-faders for that purpose, but I just think it's too easy to 'miss', if that makes sense. You're moving your up-faders throughout the mix anyways, and keeping tabs on where you want them for volume-purposes as well seems confusing.

What I do is I find the place in the tune that is the loudest, the main part. Then I keep it running and I just change the gain knob until it's at 0 dB. Normally, this is all you have to do. However, as tracks are mastered quite differently, and some just plain badly... You might have to change it on the fly. But I only use the gain knob.

And about harmonic mixing, you don't need musical background to do it. Acctually, harmonic mixing frees you from musical theory altogether. It's an automated process. Get the mixed in key program (it's not expensive), and start marking up your tunes. All you need to know is that a tune fits another tune if it's (and as long as you use key lock, or both tracks run at the exact same pitch):

a. the same key.
b. same letter, but one number above or one number below the other track
c. same number, different letter.

And that's it. Go from a 11A track into a 10A track, for example, and that's it, it's harmonic.

It's not rocket science, and it's not mozart.

You don't have to know any musical theory at all for this, since everything is being done for you via the Camelot system.

However, learning harmonic mixing and then not using it, ironically, will make you better at track selection.

And IpLaYWiTLiGhTs has the best suggestion: three deck mixing. Go for it. I'm just learning it myself, it's great ;P

You can also move up/down 3

Get more decks and actually mix for a purpose (at a party/for a radio show/website). I'm sure evolution will come with real experience.

quote:

Originally posted by jupiterone practice the pose

this man ^ knows the score...

quote:

Originally posted by Adam420 Get more decks and actually mix for a purpose (at a party/for a radio show/website). I'm sure evolution will come with real experience.

Yeah good points... I am looking to upgrade my gear but am in my last year of Uni and currently don't have an income so thats gonna have to wait till at least summer time.

Totally agree with the 'mixing for a purpose' thing.... I also need to start recording my sets.... problem is my computer sucks ass for that. If I am recording and if i even tap my computer lightly you can directly hear it through the recording.... I think my lack of money right now is a constraint to my progression; right now I am running 2 DNS-1000s and a DNX-1500S... want to upgrade those CDJs for sure. Thinking of getting some CDJ400s when I have the cash and maybe even traktor scratch or something.

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